Because reality is beautiful.

Value is always subjective. Different people value different things. We know that, yet we are always slightly aware that the things we value are a little more important than what others value, and because of this awareness, we associate with people who value the things we do. When values are sorted out on some sort of imaginary top ten (or so) list, we call that a value system. (Oddly, because it’s not particularly systematic.)

Because value is subjective, the ranking of value is always more or less arbitrary. But for the value system’s practitioners, it’s not arbitrary; it’s self evident. This results in a lot of exasperation, confusion, and distrust for practitioners, non-practitioners, and both, respectively.

Example: people believe in God because they value the god hypothesis. To them, God is self evident. To them, everything thing that exists, and every idea about existence, is in andof it self evidence. They get very frustrated with people who don’t see the world that way. To atheists, God is not self evident. They demand falsifiable statements (which they don’t generally receive) and get very frustrated too.

The deist thinks the atheist must be purposefully ignoring the clear evidence of God for some (sick) reason. The atheist thinks the deist must be purposefully ignoring the clear lack of evidence of God for some (bizarre) reason. Sanity is a gradient expressing ones communication with reality. Those who are deeply in touch with reality are sane. Those deeply out of touch with reality are insane. So, each side views the other as, more-or-less, mentally ill.

I bring up God mostly for the opportunity to talk about atheism, (and maybe build some report between atheists and theists/deists) but my real point is to talk about value systems.

1. Value is relative.

2. Value systems are formed by “self evident” beliefs.

3. As such they are totally arbitrary.

4. This “Its self evident/No, its arbitrary!” can cause a huge amount of friction.

A note here. I have no social friction with people who chose to value me and disregard in their own lives, my values, nor do they get any from me. The trouble is when people assume because they do not value another group or person’s views, they must also devalue the group or person.

For instanse, I support the right of homosexuals to be recognized as married, join the military, and do whatever other people get to do, because they are just that: people. However, I think homosex is disgusting, and it takes regular effort on my part to remember that people who value an act I find repugnant are OK.

Social peace = seperating the value of the person from the person’s values. Social friction = not seperating the value of the person from the person’s values.